Valentine
by Sage1
Summary: When a beautiful young woman named Annabelle Hawthorne falls into Aeolus Redferns’ ‘lap’ he thinks nothing of it other than another tasty treat, until she claims to be someone from the past, to be specific from 1692, in Salem Massachusetts. Was it p
1. The Past

Title: Valentine  
  
Author: Sage  
  
Spoilers: NW  
  
Disclaimers: Annabelle, Aeolus, Agharna, and anyone else that you don't recognize from the Night World books are mine.  
  
Summary: Aeolus Redfern is in to the past. He has a group of vampires that study The Middle Ages. Just when things are looking up Annabelle Hawthorne crashes down. She claims she's from 1692, Salem Massachusetts. She has the clothes and the look, but Aeolus doesn't know what to think. (The Salem Witch Trials are in this story. I stretch things about the trials and what really happened.)  
  
Alternative Summary: When a beautiful young woman named Annabelle Hawthorne falls into Aeolus Redferns' 'lap' he thinks nothing of it other than another tasty treat, until she claims to be someone from the past, to be specific from 1692, in Salem Massachusetts. Was it possible this young woman had traveled through time? The more important question, how is Aeolus going to get her back?  
  
Rating: 15+ for foul language  
  
Part One: The Past  
  
"Annabelle! Where are you child?"  
  
"I'm here," Annabelle Hawthorne screamed from an apple tree.  
  
"You fool child, get down from there. Reverend Samuel Parris has asked us to come for dinner. To welcome us to Salem," said the old grandmother with hair as white as snow, eyes as blue as the sky, and wrinkled cheeks with only a hint of a peach blush tint.  
  
"Grandmamma, why, when we have just gotten here a few days ago, must we go to the Reverends house for dinner?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"For heavens sake Annabelle, would you not question me, you must hurry. Get out of that confounded tree this instant," Grandmother demanded harshly.  
  
"But the apples are so delicious. And they are red, not green!" Annabelle expressed with excitement in her voice.  
  
"Do not spoil your dinner up there, you have five minutes to get down and get into your evening gown," she hollered up at the girl in the tree.  
  
"Fifteen year olds are the devils own," she murmured to herself.  
  
"Grandmamma, I heard that!" Annabelle hollered.  
  
The beautiful young girl jumped out of the apple tree and headed for the house.  
  
*******************************************  
  
"Annabelle, are you ready yet?" yelled the old women.  
  
"Yes I am," she yelled.  
  
She had the most beautiful purple gown on with black lace trimming on the bottom edges. Her skin was peaches and creamed colored; her eyes were a lilac violet color, and her hair black as midnight, with chunks of purple streaks. If it hadn't been for that accident with that, supposedly water, she wouldn't have had the purple streaks, but she hadn't minded after she got use to it. She rather liked it. It made her look exotic and dangerous.  
  
"Let us go," said grandmamma.  
  
We walked out to our carriage and elegantly went in.  
  
After a ten minutes we had finally gotten out of the carriage and we were seated at a table with the linger of a dreadful smell in the house.  
  
"What is that awful stench?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"Oh, we made a witch cake," said Tituba one of the servants of Samuel Parris.  
  
"A what?" she asked.  
  
"A witch cake said Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris's niece.  
  
"What is that?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"It's a cake with rye meal mixed with Betty's urine," Abigail stated.  
  
Annabelle made a face.  
  
"That's awful," she said.  
  
"Then we fed it to the dog to see if Betty's fits would happen to the dog, they did," she said again.  
  
Abigail was an 11-year-old girl and Betty was 9. Annabelle had concluded that Betty was very ill.  
  
"Why?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"Mrs. Sibley told Tituba to make it," she said.  
  
"Well, this Mrs. Sibley is dreadful," Annabelle said.  
  
"Girls, it be time too eat," said Tituba.  
  
"Well, I hope it tisn't witch cake," Annabelle stated as she got up, with a disgusted face and headed towards the kitchen where the grown ups were.  
  
"Annabelle, you are a very pretty young women, any thoughts of getting married? I know someone, Joseph Putnam, he's on the Salem Village committee," said Reverend Parris.  
  
"I have absolutely no desire to marry anyone," Annabelle said in a stern voice.  
  
"Well, sorry Joseph," he said looking across the table at the very handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Y-your Joseph?" Annabelle asked in shock.  
  
"Why yes I am, maybe you'll think about it a little more? Hmm?" he asked.  
  
"A little more," Annabelle flirted.  
  
"Good," he said smiling at her.  
  
After dinner, which was roast beef and potatoes Grandmamma said, "Well Annabelle, it's time we be off."  
  
"Yes I think so too. I'm very tired," she said.  
  
"Twas nice to meet you," said grandmamma.  
  
"Like wise," said Reverend Parris.  
  
To Be Continued 


	2. Witch Confessions, Hangings, and the Fut...

Note: In this part I borrowed a line from the movie Pitch Black.  
  
Thanks to Lefty ~ Lefty, During 1692 Betty was Reverend Parris' daughter, Abigail was his niece. Betty was the first girl to start having fits. These are facts, and yes these characters are in that play, but the don't belong to that play. They were real people...as the facts said when I did my research.  
  
Part Two: Witch Confessions, Hangings, and the Future  
  
March 1:  
  
"Annabelle, did you hear?" yelled Agharna, the young women that Annabelle had become friends with on February 26 after that dreadful dinner with the Parris's and that awful smell of the witch cake.  
  
Annabelle had told Agharna about the witch cake. She thought it was gross.  
  
"Hear what?" Annabelle asked as she finished hanging up the laundry on the string that stretched from one tree to the other.  
  
"Tituba confessed," she said.  
  
"Confessed what?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"Witchcraft! HAVEN'T YOU BEEN LISTENING TO THE RUMORS?" she screamed in frustration.  
  
"Rumors are usually lies. That's absurd!! Tituba couldn't harm a fly," Annabelle stated.  
  
"Well, she's going to the Boston Prison," said Agharna.  
  
"Oh, poor Tituba," Annabelle said as she got up to walk to the door.  
  
Months later...  
  
Months have passed by ever since Tituba, Sarah Osborn and Sarah Good were taken to the Boston Prison. Sarah Osborne had died in prison. After that had happened more people were arrested and being accused of witchcraft. Hearings were all the time. Everything had just passed in a daze. Mercy Lewis had accused Elizabeth; Annabelle had called her Lizzy, Procter of witchcraft. Everyone was being accused it seemed like. It was dreadful to see all these people going to prison.  
  
It was now June Eighth and over 10 people, men and women have been accused of witchcraft.  
  
"Gallows Hill! We have to go to Gallows Hill," yelled Agharna.  
  
"Why must we go to Gallows Hill?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"You'll see," she said.  
  
Half an hour later...  
  
"Who is that?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"Bridget Bishop, she's going to be killed," said Agharna.  
  
"WHAT?" Annabelle screamed.  
  
There was a crowd of people surrounding the guards and Bridget Bishop who was on her knees, her head placed on a log a man standing over her with a huge sword, and watching.  
  
"I think they're going to chop her head off," said Agharna.  
  
Annabelle watched, sucked in her breath and ran. She ran hard and fast towards Bridget Bishop, she leaped up the stairs and threw herself over Bridget.  
  
"What are you doing?" yelled the guard.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Annabelle demanded.  
  
"She's a witch," he said.  
  
"You CLAIM that she is a witch, just because children have 'fits'. You blame it on the different people, the people who don't fit in. Did it ever occur to you that these children just might be putting on an act to get attention? Instead of thinking logically you think of the worst and blame it on the outcasts. You're going to kill someone because of YOUR FEAR!" Annabelle hollered up at the guard her head still over Bridget Bishops head.  
  
"You would die for her?" asked the guard.  
  
Annabelle just looked at him with determination on her face.  
  
"I SAID," the guard grabbed a fist full of her hair, yanked her up and said, "Would you die for them?"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Annabelle asked.  
  
"You say that it is fear that makes us do this, so prove yourself right. Will you die for them?" the guard says and points to the other prisoners that were behind the cage and watched.  
  
Annabelle saw Tituba and Sarah Good, people from her village, where she lived.  
  
The guard dragged her over to the prisoners by her hair, pushed her down and pulled her back up again.  
  
"I SAID, WOULD YOU DIE FOR THEM?" the guard yelled yanking her hair.  
  
"~I would try for them! ~" Annabelle yelled.  
  
"That wasn't my question. I SAID WOULD YOU DIE FOR THEM?"  
  
"~YES! Yes, I would die for them,~" she said.  
  
"Interesting," was all the guard said as he let her hair go.  
  
Bridget Bishop was set free.  
  
**************************************  
  
"Did you see that girl Hellewise?" asked Thierry.  
  
"I saw her," she said.  
  
"She was amazing!" he said.  
  
"Yes she was. And that is why I'm going to send her into the future!" she said.  
  
"WHAT? WHY?" he said.  
  
"Because Thierry, the future you and your future Hannah Snow will need her courage and her innocence. Her innocence could fool the world, but her courage, in the end will save it," she said.  
  
"Will I know?" he asked.  
  
"You will know when you see her in your future self yes," she said.  
  
"When are you going to send her?" he asked.  
  
"June 9 at the midnight hour here, 12 in the afternoon in the future," Hellewise said.  
  
*******************************************  
  
June 9 Midnight  
  
The clock chimed midnight, just as Annabelle was about to get into her pajamas.  
  
"Goodnight Grandmamma," she said as she walked to her bedchamber.  
  
"Goodnight dear," her Grandmamma answered.  
  
She went through the hall and disappeared.  
  
June 10: Bridget Bishop was found and hanged:  
  
"She should be there by now," said Hellewise.  
  
"I thought that she had saved Bridget," said Thierry in a trance.  
  
"She did," Hellewise said.  
  
"But she's dead!"  
  
"She saved her courage. Bridget finally knew that someone that didn't even know her cared whether she lived or not. She wasn't scared when she died and she owes that to Annabelle. It tisn't good to die in fear," she said.  
  
"I suppose," he said.  
  
"Maya should be coming to change you like her now, be prepared," she said.  
  
*******************************************  
  
"Where am I? I'm cold and in some sort of white dome (a tent). All I remember is walking towards my bedchamber." Annabelle said as she rolled up into a tight ball.  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" said a voice.  
  
Annabelle looked up to see a young man with gold hair and ever changing eyes (it's not Ash).  
  
"Where am I?" Annabelle asked as she gazed around of what looked like a huge dome shaped home.  
  
"You're in my tent and you're trespassing," he said.  
  
She looked at him close.  
  
"What year is this?" Annabelle asked as she started to get a hunch of what might have happened.  
  
"Are you serious?" he asked.  
  
"What's the date and year?" she asked frantically.  
  
"It's the year 2001 and it's June 11," he said.  
  
"OHMYGOD!" Annabelle said as she jumped up " I want to go back to 1692!"  
  
"What? I think you hit your head a little too hard. I'm Aeolus Redfern," he said.  
  
"Annabelle Hawthorne Sir," she said as she started to tremble "I'm from 1692, Salem Massachusetts."  
  
"Yeah right," he said as he grabbed her delicate hand and yanked her up.  
  
"Get out, before you regret it," he threatened.  
  
She fainted.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. The Year of 2001

Part three: The Year of 2001  
  
"Who is that?" asked Hunter Redfern.  
  
Aelous glanced down and gave a gentle smile at the unconscious girl in his arms. "This girl that I found in my tent."  
  
"What do you plan to do with her?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Hmm, haven't really thought about it. I mean she just got here."  
  
"Ahh, and I thought I taught you well," Hunter said sounding disappointed.  
  
Aelous was caring the limp girl in his arms. Her head was leaning on his right shoulder and her feet dangling over his left arm. Aelous headed towards his room and placed her down on his bed. He stared down at her. She had the most unusual hair. It was midnight black with chunks of purple. He'd have to ask her about her hair when she woke up. He hadn't seen her eyes, but he imagined that they were a dark blue or gray. He decided, before he left her to sleep that she would be fun to play with although she looked about 16 or so.  
  
"Aelous! Come now," yelled Hunter harshly.  
  
Aelous sucked in a huge breathe.  
  
"Great, now I get to see him talk to his servants he says jump and they say how high, just out of fear. What a disgusting emotion to have," he mumbled to himself.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Annabelle was dreaming. She had dreamed that she had gone into the future, to 2001. That's 309 years into the future.  
  
"What a strange dream," she said as she put her hand to her forehead and slowly lifted her it from the pillow.  
  
She looked around.  
  
"What is this strange compartment?" she whispered as she glanced around what looked like a bedchamber.  
  
She got up and headed towards a black rectangular box with knobs, and turning buttons. She reached for the long silver line and pulled it up.  
  
"This box, with all the little gadgets, what is this?" she said as she placed her hand on the biggest knob and turned it.  
  
"Tis not doing anything," she cried in frustration as she went for one of the smaller rectangles.  
  
A loud big boom of musical sounds flowed out. Annabelle jerked and stumbled back onto her rear end. Fear entered her eyes.  
  
"'Tis ALIVE! IT SPEAKS! HELP ME THE DEVIL HAS COME TO GET ME!" Annabelle screamed as she jumped away from the black beast and screamed in the corner of the bedchamber.  
  
The door burst open. Five people had come in with the nastiest scowl.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?" a man with red ash hair demanded.  
  
The man that had been in the 'tent' or so he called it that headed towards the box. The loud evil noise stopped and Annabelle sighed in relief.  
  
"What is that thing?" Annabelle asked as she pointed a shaky finger.  
  
"Hon, it's a stereo," said Aelous as he went to go help her up.  
  
"Who is hon?" she asked.  
  
"Ah, never mind," he said giving her a funny look.  
  
"S-stereo?"  
  
"Yeah, haven't you ever seen one?" he asked.  
  
"Oh good heaven's no. There's nothing of the sort in 1692. That bloody beast would never be allowed. It's the devil!" she exclaimed harshly.  
  
"Whatever," Aelous said in a disbelieving manner.  
  
"You don't believe me? I kid you not, for I tell the truth," she screamed impatiently.  
  
Any moment now Aelous expected the spitfire beauty to start stomping her feet as a child would.  
  
"Hey, hey, don't get feisty," he smiled at her.  
  
His smile melted her. She leaned against him looking up into her eyes.  
  
*It'll be no problem for her to start trusting you. She already does, * Hunter channeled.  
  
"So, where do you live?" he asked.  
  
"Not here! I told you I live in a small cottage in the year 1692 where the witch trials are happening. I saved Bridget Bishop on June 8th. She was going to get her head chopped off," she said.  
  
"Ahh, now I know you're lying because Bridget Bishop was hanged on June 10, 1692 not June 8th," said Aelous.  
  
"But I'm not lying!" she pleaded with him.  
  
"Whatever baby," he said as he looked into her eyes.  
  
He realized that they were violet. Beautiful, he wondered if she might be a lost witch.  
  
"Please! I'm telling the truth," she said.  
  
"I believe you. I guess you don't have any clothes with you either huh?" he said looking at her old clothes.  
  
"No," she said shaking her head shyly.  
  
"And you have no shoes," he said looking at her little feet. They were perfect feet.  
  
"Shoes?" she questioned.  
  
"Never mind, I'm going to take you to the mall," he said as he pulled her out of his room and took her through the hall.  
  
This hall had very many pictures. It was like no place Annabelle had ever seen. It was gigantic.  
  
"This place is so big!" she said in awe.  
  
He looked at her with that funny amusement on his face. "Yeah, I guess it is."  
  
"Do you always look like that?" she asked changing the subject again.  
  
He gave her a puzzled look. "Like what?"  
  
"So beautiful?" she said.  
  
His eyes widened in shock and he felt a blush creep up into his cheeks. "What?"  
  
Aelous had known that he was beautiful and had always gotten some sort of compliments from women, but some reason coming from her so unexpected it was the best compliment he had ever gotten.  
  
"Thank you," he said recovering. "You're very beautiful too."  
  
"Maybe, but not like you," she said.  
  
"Okay sugar baby, how about we get out of here and go to the mall?" he said trying to get that damn warm feeling out of his stomach and heart.  
  
"Well, I don't know what 'mall' is but okay," she said. 


	4. New Experiences

Part Four: New Experiences  
  
"What is that?" said Annabelle referring to the car.  
  
"It's a mustang," Aelous said.  
  
"Well, it sure doesn't look like a horse," she said.  
  
"No, it's a car," he said as he grabbed his stomach from laughing to much.  
  
"Oh," Annabelle said sheepishly.  
  
"Come on let's go," he said.  
  
Just then a zoomed by and Annabelle went over to the rode to get a closer look. She hadn't realized that she had gone into the street. Neither had Aelous until a horn was honking and speeding up at the same time. Aelous dashed, if he wasn't a vampire he wouldn't have been able to save her. He got to her just in time, pushed her out of the way and the landed on the other side of the grass, Aelous on top.  
  
"That dreadful noise," said Annabelle referring to the honking of the horn.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Aelous demanded to know.  
  
"I'm sorry," Annabelle said flinching back from the roar of his voice.  
  
He looked at her.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled, you just, you just scared me?" he said as a question and statement.  
  
"You're very heavy," she said as she wiggled.  
  
"Oh, sorry," he said as he jumped up and extended a hand to help her up.  
  
"Thank you. What should I call you Sir?" she asked.  
  
"Aelous," he said.  
  
She put her hands to her mouth.  
  
"Oh, well that's a funny name," she said as she twirled around in laughter and then she caught herself and said, "Oh, I mean it's perfect."  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Don't you remember me telling you my name?" he questioned.  
  
"No," she said as she placed her hand in his and pulled herself up.  
  
Her hand was so small in his hand, so soft.  
  
"Well, are you ready?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, come on," he said.  
  
"I'm not getting in that beast," she said as she pointed to the car.  
  
"We can't very well walk," he said impatiently  
  
She looked at him, lifted her eyebrow and said "Why not?"  
  
"It's three mile!!" he said.  
  
"Is that far?" she asked.  
  
"What." he started to say and then stopped.  
  
This is perfect he thought to himself.  
  
"Okay, let's walk," he said.  
  
"Thank you Aelous," she said.  
  
They started walking. 


End file.
